1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a fuel system for a marine vessel and, more particularly, to a fuel container, or fuel system module, in which a hose is provided with an opening to purge gas from an ullage in the fuel container.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,131, which issued to Hensel on Mar. 22, 1988, discloses a fuel line purging device. A fuel injection system is provided with a purging device for purging gas, including air and vapor, from a fuel system. The device includes a pressure responsive valve permitting gas to flow from an inlet connected to the high pressure fuel line to a vent outlet and blocking flow when gas has been purged from the system and fuel pressure rises.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,283, which issued to Garms et al. on Jul. 18, 1989, discloses a marine engine with combination vapor return, crankcase pressure, and cooled fuel line conduit. A marine propulsion system includes a two cycle water cooled crankcase compression internal combustion engine including a vapor separator, a remote fuel tank, and a fuel pump in the tank for delivering fuel to the engine in response to crankcase pulse pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,483, which issued to Beavis et al. on Aug. 15, 1989, discloses a vacuum bleed and flow restrictor fitting for fuel injected engines with vapor separator. A fitting is provided in the vapor supply line. The fitting has a first reduced diameter passage providing a vacuum bleed orifice passage partially venting vacuum from the induction manifold to atmosphere, to limit peak vacuum applied to the vapor separator from the induction manifold.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,793, which issued to Riese et al. on Apr. 14, 1992, discloses a vapor separator for an internal combustion engine. The assembly includes a bowl member and a cover member. A fuel pump is located in the internal cavity of the bowl member and has its inlet located in the lower portion of the bowl member cavity for supplying fuel thereto. The fuel pump is secured in position within the bowl member by engagement of the cover member with the fuel pump.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,245, which issued to Jaeger et al. on Feb. 14, 1995, discloses a vapor separating unit for a fuel system. The unit has particular application to a fuel system for a marine engine. The vapor separating unit includes a closed tank having a fuel inlet through which fuel is fed to the tank by a diaphragm pump. The liquid level in the tank is controlled by a float-operated valve.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,903, which issued to White et al. on Nov. 10, 1998, discloses a fuel supply system for an internal combustion engine. The system has an electronically controlled fuel injection system and eliminates the need for a vapor separator. The system pumps an excessive amount of fuel through a plumbed fuel supply loop and cools recirculated fuel to cool all the components in the plumbed fuel supply loop.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,962, which issued to Kirk on May 2, 2000, discloses a fuel system for an internal combustion engine. The system uses a vacuum source to draw fuel from a fuel tank into a fuel reservoir. By avoiding the need for a fuel tank to pump fuel from the fuel tank to the fuel reservoir, a common incident of vapor lock is prevented. The vacuum is provided by a crankcase of a compressor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,553,974, which issued to Wickman et al. on Apr. 29, 2003, discloses an engine fuel system with a fuel vapor separator and a fuel vapor vent canister. The system provides an additional fuel chamber, associated with a fuel vapor separator, that receives fuel vapor from a vent of the fuel vapor separator. In order to prevent the flow of liquid fuel into and out of the additional fuel chamber, a valve is provided which is able to block the vent of the additional chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,694,955, which issued to Griffiths et al. on Feb. 24, 2004, discloses a marine engine with primary and secondary fuel reservoirs. The system comprises first and second fuel reservoirs connected in fluid communication with each other. The first fuel reservoir is a fuel vapor separator which has a vent conduit connected in fluid communication with a second fuel reservoir. Under normal operation, fuel vapor flows from the fuel vapor separator and into the second fuel reservoir for eventual discharge to the atmosphere.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,718,953, which issued to Torgerud on Apr. 13, 2004, discloses a fuel vapor separator with a flow directing component with a fuel recirculating flow path. The system provides first, second, and third reservoirs of a fuel vapor separator and first, second, and third pumps to cause fuel to be drawn from the fuel tank and provided to the combustion chambers of an internal combustion engine. A flow directing component is provided to inhibit recirculated fuel from mixing directly with fuel within the fuel vapor separator that has not yet been pumped to a fuel rail.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,742, which issued to Wickman et al. on Jul. 3, 2001, discloses a fuel supply method for a marine propulsion engine. The method uses a lift pump to transfer fuel from a remote tank to a vapor separator tank. Only one level sensor is provided in the vapor separator tank and an engine control unit monitors the total fuel usage subsequent to the most recent filling of the tank.
The patents described above are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in the description of the present invention.
As described above in the patents known to those skilled in the art, many different systems and methods have been provided to manage the flow of fuel from a fuel reservoir to an engine of a marine propulsion system. The flow management of both liquid fuel and vapors, both during operation of the marine engine and subsequent to its being turned off, is important in order to avoid various disadvantageous situations. It would therefore be significantly beneficial if a device could be provided which prevents unwanted flow of fuel to or from a fuel tank under circumstances when that unwanted flow of fuel could either be significantly disadvantageous to the proper operation of a marine vessel or, in certain applications, could create a dangerous situation.